Paper-excelsior machine



I... J. ANTONSEN PAPER EXCELSIOR MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Aug. 50 1926 INVENTOR @ch 15, 1929. L l ANTONSEN 1,73%,96?

PAFER EXCELSIOR MACHINE Filed Aug. 50, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l I I 1 i "U" IIIIII 6 ATTORNEY Patented Uct. 15, 1229 LOUIE d'. ANTOINSEN, F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON PAPER-EXCELSIOR MAUHZENE Application filed August 30, 1926. Serial No. 132,549.

My invention relates to improvements in shredding machines of the particular type adapted to manufacture paper excelsior from waste paper.

It has been customary heretofore to cut the paper into narrow strips or shreds by means of a machine consisting essentially of a pair of oppositely rotating, parallel shafts on which are mounted cutting disks inter meshed and in facial contact. The narrow paper strips cut by such machines have straight, sharp edges as the result of the true shearing action of the rotating cutters. lfn

handling eXcelsior made of these strips, the sharp edges often cut the hands of the packer. Furthermore, the strips are so uniform and straight that such excelsior is found to pack and is less resilient than the wood excelsior.

Machines of the type mentioned have a comparatively small production capacity because of the inherent limitations in the cutting process, and in the method used to feed the material to the cutters. The object of my invention is to provide improved means for the shredding of paper whereby the same is torn, instead of out, into narrow strips or shreds, producing there by irregular feathery edges.

A further object is to provide means for the separation of the shreds cut from multiple layers of paper and to prevent the same from winding about the disk spindlesof the machine. A final objectis to provide an improved method of manufacturing paperexcelsior,

method of mounting, adjusting and driving the disk spindles;

Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sec tion on line 33 in Figure 4 and Figure {t is a cross sectional view on line 4-4: of Figmembers 3 and 4, horizontal members 5, 6

and 7, and main frame members 8, all of steel; the whole being firmly fastened. together by clip angles 9 and bolts 10 to form a substantial and rigid support for the mechanism of the machine.

Spindles 11 and 12 journalled at each end and provided with longitudinal keyvvays 13 are mounted in bearing blocks 14: and 15 which are securely fastened to one end of main frame member 8 by means of bolts 16. Shredder discs 17, provided with keyways 18 and preferably of the form illustrated, may be mounted alternately with suitable spacers 19 on spindles 11 and 12 with their bevelled edges opposite and secured to the spindles against rotational displacement by means of keys 20. The shredder discs and whereby the production capacity of the shredding machine is greatly increased over previous methods.

With the above and related objects in View, the invention consists in certain parts, combination of arts and methods hereinafter described, il ustrated in the accompanying drawings and embraced in the appended claims.

In the drawings: v

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my improvements; Figure 2 is a combined front elevation and- M section on line 1-1 of Figure 1, showing a spacers are held in proper axial position on the spindles by means of nut 21 and threads 22. Bearing blocks 14 and 15 are preferably provided with bronze bushings 23 in WlllCh the journalle'd ends of spindles 11 and 12 rotate.

Spindle 12 and its shredder discs are kept in axial position by means of shoulders 24. The shredder discs mounted on spindle 11 are adjusted near to but not touchmg the discs of spindle 12, by'means of thrust washers of suitable material 25 and nuts 26 and 27 on the threaded portions 22 and 28, respec-.

trio motor 29 which may be mounted on horizontal frame members 5 and connected by means of belt 30 to pulley 31 fixedly attached to spindle 11. Gears 32 in turn transmit the power to spin'dle 12, thereby causing it to rotate in the opposite direction.

It is apparent that paper fed between these oppositely rotating, edged discs, although not in facial contact, will instantly grip the paper and hold it against any substantial diminution of its width so that, as the paper passes through, the edges of the discs tear their way through the paper producing a multiplicity of narrow strips or shreds having irregular feathery edges.

Combs 33 and 34 are adjustably mounted opposite the horizontal diameters of the shredder discs and on the discharge side thereof to prevent the paper strips from winding about the spindles.

Rolls 35 and 36 having journals 37 rotating in bearings 38 secured to main frame members 8 by means of bolts 39, together with belt and tightener 41, provide an improved means for feeding the paper to the shredder. The belt 4Q is driven at suitable speed by means of pulley 42 on spindle 12, belt 43 and, pulley 44 fixedly mounted on a projection (not shown) from a journal of roll 35. A chute45 maybe used to direct the shredded paper away from the shredder discs if desired.

The machine is preferably mounted at a considerable elevation above the surface intended to receive the product of the machine, as illustrated in Figure 6, and is operated as follows: The shredder disc-spindles 11 and 12 and feed belt 40 are brought up to speed in the 'direction indicated by the arrows in 'Figure 1. Paper stbck 46, such as old copies of daily newspapers, are unfolded by the operator and placed on the feed belt 40 which conveys the several thicknesses to the shredder discs 17 between which it is drawn by the action of the discs themselves, at the same time tearing the multiple thicknesses of paper into longitudinal strips of suitable width having irregular, feathery edges. The speed of rotation of the shredder discs is such that the stack of strips thus formed are projected away from the rolls at a high velocity through the air, which effectively separates them into individual strips by the time they reach the floor below, thus thoroughly mixing the strips in haphazard fashion and producing very resilient and satisfactory paper excelsior, which has been found to have a ready market in competition. with wood excelsior, straw and other packing materials.

The separation of the stacks or strips torn by the combined action of the shredder discs is assisted by the tendency of oneedge of the strips to follow upward with the straight sides 17 of the shredder discs on spindle 11, and the other edge downward with' the straight sides 17 of the discs on spindle 12, thus tending to impart a rotary motion axially of the strips.

The separation of the strips is further assisted when they are carried against combs 33 and 34, which often wrinkle the strips in preventing their winding about the spindles.

It is found that feeding the paper between the shredder disc spindles 11 and 12 by means of belt 40 permits the operation of the spindles at a much higher speed, serves as a valuable protection against injury to the operator, and enables him to devote his entire time to rapidly feeding the opened papers onto the belt, all of which greatly increase the capacity of the machine.

The adjustment of the space between edges 17 and 17" of the shredder discs 17' on spindles 11 and 12 is not critical, but it has been found advantageous to vary the adjustment slightly when shredding papers having a materially greater or smaller number of ages.

This method of shredding has proved to be far superior to the cutting method for the manufacture of paper excelsior, and the machine described embodying my invention has been found to have a production capacity many times that of other shredding machines of comparable size.

As will be evident, the mechanism may be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the invention herein described and shown, and embraced within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In a paper shredding machine, the combination of a pair of parallel and oppositely rotated spindles, each mounting a plurality of intermeshing, bevel-edged discs, and means for bodily shifting the discs of either group in the axial direction of their spindles for the purpose of adjusting their spaced relation with the discs of the other group.

2. In a paper excelsior machine, the combination of a pair of oppositely rotated parallel spin-dles, each having a plurality of bevel-edged discs fixedly mounted thereon, the discs of said spindles intermeshing with their edge sides adjacent but not touching,

and means synchronized with the spindles for conveyin and feeding the stock between said intermes ing discs.

3. In a machine for making aper excelsior, thecombination of a pair of oppositely rotated spindles, each mounting a plurality of bevel-edged discs fixedly attached thereto, the discs of said pair of spindles intermeshing with their respective edge sides adjacent but not touching, means for conveying to and feeding the stock between said intermeshing discs, and means adjacent the discharge side of the discs of each of said spindles to prevent the shredded stock from winding about the same.

4. A paper excelsior machine, comprising in combination a pair of oppositely rotated, parallel spindles, each mounting fixedly thereon a plurality of bevel-edged discs, means for maintaining the discs of one spindle intermeshed with those of the other spindle, said intermeshing discs having their edge sides adjustably adjacent but not touching, a belt for conveying the stock to and feeding it between said intermeshing discs, and combs having teeth intermeshing with the discs of each of said spindles on the discharge side thereof.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a pair of spindles, each mounting a plurality of bevel-edged discs alternating with spacers, means for fastening said discs for rotation with their respective spindles, means for securing said discs and spacers in axial position on said spindles, a frame and bearings for the rotative and parallel mounting of said spindles with their respective discs intermeshing, beveled sides, opposed means for axially adjusting the space between the adjacent edge sides of said intermeshing discs, means for rotating said spindles in opposite directions, a pair of combs with teeth intermeshing with the discs of each of said spindles on the discharge side thereof, means for adjustably mounting each of said combs, and means for conveymg the stock to and feeding it between said intermeshing discs. v

6. The means for manufacturing paper excelsior and the like, comprising the combination of a belt conveyor, a shredder headof the type described, combs adjacent the discharge sides of the edged discs of said shredder head, and a chute for directing the shredded stock away therefrom.

7. The method of manufacturing paper excelsior and the like which consists of tearing sheets of paper stock intonarrow strips and separating said strips and piling them in haphazard fashion.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 23rd day of August, 1926.

LOUIE J. ANTONSEN. 

